|
|
An intergenerational networking initiative has won the Sanctuary Care-sponsored DBA (Design Business Association) Inclusive Design Challenge 2010.
The challenge, which has been sponsored by the leading care provider for the third consecutive year, has been described by the BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones as the “combined Oscars and Olympics of Inclusive Design”.
Now in its tenth year the competition, conceived and organised by the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre (RCA) in London, in collaboration with the Design Business Association challenged this year’s designers with the brief of ‘Active ageing – designing for our future selves’ and the challenges faced by our rapidly growing ageing population to remain active and productive in later life.
On Thursday the four shortlisted teams -1HQ from Windsor, BWA Design from Hereford and London-based Epitype and CLINIC - went head to head before a panel of judges at the Royal College of Art, with CLINIC declared the winner.
One of London’s largest independently owned creative agencies, CLINIC’s project Sage & Onions: the Experience Exchange aims to bring generations together by stimulating activity and community participation. The scheme encourages people to form local ‘experience bartering’ networks. No money changes hands, instead people swap skills and the knowledge they have for the experiences they want. A central organisation provides toolkits, infrastructure and support, creating a nationally-recognised ‘brand’ and template for local interaction and events.
The judges described the project as: “A witty and vibrant piece of communication design that gives local bartering a brand identity and national profile. It has a high likelihood of implementation because it is scaleable and based on longstanding community networking and skill-sharing models. By being genuinely intergenerational and providing the logistical knowhow and tools on how to get started, it invites engagement for people who would not otherwise meet and share skills through conventional social networking means.”
CLINIC’s Jenny Theolin, who led the team’s presentation said: “Working on this has really opened our eyes to the subject, we’ve worked incredibly hard over the last three to four months on this project – so we are absolutely thrilled to win. We’ve met some very interesting people throughout the process and what we’d love to see now is for the concept to take shape and live in the real world…it’s too good an idea not to become real.”
During the competition the four shortlisted teams spent time with Sanctuary Care’s staff and visited some of the organisation’s care homes, schemes and domiciliary care businesses across the country for ideas and inspiration.
Steve Wood, Managing Director of Sanctuary Care said: “Isolation is a big problem as people get older, therefore it’s important that organisations like Sanctuary Care support people who are looking to provide things that can improve people’s well-being.
“This is the third year that we have sponsored the DBA Challenge. We got involved because the subject - dementia - was very close to our hearts and this year the problem continues to be very pertinent both for society as a whole and to our business.”
Guest speaker at the event was Emma Soames, the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill and Editor-at-Large of Saga Magazine. Emma said: “It is so encouraging to see design companies encouraged to focus on finding imaginative solutions to make the ageing process a positive one. The winning entry Sage & Onions, combining the ancient art of bartering with the technology of the 21st century gives older people a great opportunity to remain active members of their communities.”
Julia Cassim, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre said: “We were delighted to work with Sanctuary Care for the third year in succession - their support and the doors they have opened for the design teams have been crucial to the excellence and user-centred nature of the final design outcomes.”
Meanwhile DBA awards manager Natalie Maher said: "DBA members have yet again turned out some fantastic projects in response to the Inclusive Design Challenge, and were delighted to see CLINIC winning for their Sage & Onions concept - which not only taps into the social media zeitgeist, but into the increasing need to create a sense of community for our older population. Well done and congratulations to all of the teams, whose talents bring a much-needed spotlight to the important subject of inclusive design."
An exhibition, also sponsored by Sanctuary Care, will showcase the winning designs from the last decade at the Sackler Centre for arts education at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum between 19th April and 16th May. |
|
Posted by Kim for Sanctuary Care Ltd. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|